The End of Sacrifice
by Binary Love
Summary: PreFFX Braska, Auron and Jecht meet a girl during their pilgrimage who will change one of their lives forever.
1. Luca

**Author's Note:** This here story is not only my very first attempt at fan fiction, but also my first time writing in first-person, so I thought I'd ease myself into it by writing from the point of view of an original character. This particular fic is mostly just a set-up for it's sequel that will revert back to a third person perspective, but I do promise to do my best to keep this one entertaining, if nothing else. Reviews, suggestions, and constructive criticism are all very welcome and appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own nor claim to own any of the FFX characters or locations, though some minor details will be changed to better suit the story.

**The End of Sacrifice**

Chapter One: Luca

I never would gave admitted it at the time, but I was scared, truly frightened as I pushed and ducked my way frantically through the crowded stadium of Luca. The three soldiers were gaining on me each time I had to twist to the side to avoid toppling over some unexpecting passer-by.

Blitzball season had just begun and the city was bursting with fans and players alike, all anxious for the opening tournament set to start in an hour's time. An hour? Possibly less, but I didn't dare take the time to glance up at the clock in the central portion of the stadium. Instead I willed myself to look back. The men were closer. No more than a few feet until I would undoubtedly fall into their grasps. I was faster than them and by all other means I should have found my escape already. But the crowd was a hindrance and not nearly as eager to move from my path as they were to part way for members of the formal guard. If anything at all, I expected to be snatched up by some do-gooder citizen and turned over to the authorities regardless of the fact that I'd done nothing wrong. That's Spira for you; a bunch of fools acting hastily without real knowledge of a given situation.

I closed my eyes, drawing in as deep a breath as possible, willing it not to sputter into another fit of choked coughs that would leave me worse off than I had been. Digging my feet into the concrete, as if it'd give way like sand if I didn't move fast enough, kick it up hard enough, I ran even faster, no longer caring that I had to shove my way through the swarming fans. If there was a way to lose them and keep them lost, it had to be then. With the last little bit of my energy and one last glance over my shoulder, I ducked through the densely populated path that lead from the stadium to the central plaza. For a moment I was sure they had failed to see me veer away from the stadium and I doubled over trying to catch my breath, I even mused that they continued straight and found themselves alone and out of luck on the port. That is, until I saw the commander of the three weaving against the flow of traffic as more and more people decided it was a better time than any to make their way to their seats.

There was a tiny amount of relief in the fact that they had, indeed, seemed to have lost me for a time, but that wouldn't last long if I stayed where I was. I was still out of breath and my legs felt more like rubber than actual flesh and bone, but I had no choice but to keep moving. Staying low, I drifted into the push and shove of the crowd and allowed myself to be filtered past the officer and back into the stadium. If I could make it to the docks unnoticed, I might be able to hide behind the piles of cargo until the ferry left for Kilika.

I don't know how long I was there, crouching behind the stack of crates on dock one, only that if I didn't move soon, I wouldn't be able to when it became necessary. The first ten minutes had felt like hours and all the time that passed beyond that was a purgatory of fear.

"Did you get that last match?" I froze, the muffled rasp of a man's voice on the other side of the crates. Even if it wasn't somebody potentially dangerous, if they noticed her there, they would no doubt draw the wrong sort of attention. The voices began to fade slightly and I stifled a sigh of relief. Perhaps they were moving away.

"There she is!" Another voice came from behind and running footsteps. How could I have been so stupid! The hiding spot was perfect had I been trying to avoid someone either on the dock itself or coming from the direction I had. But Luca was circular and I was as good as in plain sight to anyone passing through from dock two.

Spinning around, I planted a foot on one of the boxes and leapt over the stack, landing on the other side with a stumble as I tried to go back into a full out run. I darted past the man I had heard and turned back once to check the position of the guards. Before I could stop or even see it coming, I collided with someone and found myself in a heap.

"Sorry…I'm so sorry". I wanted to help him up, make sure he was all right, but there was no time. As quickly as I'd fallen, I was back on my feet again.

"How dare you treat a summoner with such reckless disregard!" If I'd had a choice, I never would have looked back to find the source of the voice, but as it was, I had reached the end of the pier. A dead end with the guards already securing the only way out. I dropped to my knees in defeat, looking upon the summoner apologetically as the guards closed in, swords drawn.

"In the name of Yevon, we order you to turn yourself in!" The annoyance in the officer's voice was clear. _Apparently he doesn't like running around the city_. I smirked ever so slightly, allowing it to grow bolder as I stood and unsheathed my sword. It was an uncommon blade, dramatically curved and extremely light, yet still sturdy and as strong as the sea. Tossing it into the air, I twirled it; making a small spectacle as it spun and dropped firmly back into my hand. I grinned at their expressions, at the small fact that even vastly outnumbered I had managed to plant a small seed of doubt into the back of their minds. I knew better than anyone that it was sometimes all you needed to gain and edge. Outnumbered, yes, but they knew that I wasn't going down without a fight. My smile was almost sadistic as I slashed the air in from of me, an invitation to let the battle begin.

The first two charged and went down easily enough, my dark hair flying wildly into my eyes with every thrust and parry. Once defeated, more came, six soldiers surrounding me, backing me into the far end of the dock. I was stuck. My shoulders brushed the high railing behind me and it hindered my every movement.

_This is it_, I thought. Closing my eyes, almost peacefully, I dropped to my knees again, a sword point held to my throat. I relaxed and another wry smile played upon my lips. If it was the end, at least I had been blessed with the chance to go out proudly. An end to my curse at last.

"Enough!" My eyes fluttered open and I sighed, an ornate robe was blocking my view. Its owner now standing between me and the instrument that I was sure would be my death. He turned to me and the kindness in his eyes was overwhelming as he took my hand and pulled me to my feet, staying in front of me as he backed towards the men I'd heard speak before. His guardians, I supposed. "I demand to know what charges are being held against this girl and how you call yourselves men, all the while ganging up on someone nearly have your sizes." I think I may have smiled then. His voice, though angry, was one of a gentle nature. I had a passing thought that this was probably true of most summoners.

"She is a prisoner of Bevelle," the commanding officer spoke. "Move aside or join her."

The guardians stepped forward, hands on their weapons and ready to strike, but the summoner held them back. "Would you honestly arrest a summoner of Bevelle, intentionally stop his pilgrimage and expect to keep not only your job, but your life?"

"Sir – " the soldier stuttered. I laughed, finally stepping out from behind the group to witness the soldier's bumbling firsthand. "We have strict orders from the High Priests not to let this one get away. She's a danger to the citizens of Spira."

The eyes of the summoner party looked at me, bewildered. I stood nearly a foot less in height than anyone else present, my pale eyes tired, lacking any hint of malice and my frame strong, but very small. None of them could believe that a pixie of a child pose a threat to anyone.

"Come on, Braska, let's forget these fools and go!" I glanced at the man, wondering whether he meant to convince his friend to leave me there. His eyes met mine in a kind sort of nod, perhaps even a hello, his bright red headband keeping his waves of dark hair from spilling into his eyes with the motion. No, this one wouldn't turn me in. I could see my own natural defiance matched in his features. This one would help me just for the chance to fight.

I grinned up at him cheekily and he chuckled. I could easily read his thoughts on his face. 'This one? Dangerous. Yeah…right.'

"Auron, Jecht, come on." The man they'd called Braska turned and looked down at me. "What is your name?"

"Krista." My voice was raspy, my throat dry from staying silent so long.

"Do these men have reason to think you dangerous," he asked, his eyes searching my face for honesty as I opted not to speak and instead glared at the soldiers, shaking my head. I wasn't dangerous, not unless I was backed into a corner. I sighed. Not unless the unknown, the impossible, frightens you. He nodded, turning back to face the soldiers. "Do not interrupt this party again." They began to protest, but the summoner had already turned to walk away.

I stood as still as I could as he came back to me. I didn't even know where to begin as far as thanking him. I was exhausted, the waves of relief pulling my guard down enough to finally feel the throb in my legs and stomach. Too much running and too much fear. I felt like my body had decided to wait until I was out of trouble before it gave in and lost the will to survive. I sat. I didn't want to or even mean to, I just couldn't stand any longer, couldn't hold my head up and before I had the chance to realize that I couldn't keep my eyes open either, I was out.


	2. A Breakfast of Guardians

**Author's Note:** This story is starting off at a much slower pace than I wanted it to, but that should change by chapter four. Like I said, this is my first try at this sort of thing, so please bear with me. I know Auron may seem slightly OOC, but that will change soon as well. As always, reviews, suggestions, and constructive criticism are all very welcome and appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, except for the OC.

A HUGE thank to **blackpanzer** for my very first review!

**The End of Sacrifice**

Chapter Two: A Breakfast of Guardians

I awoke just before nightfall, shocked to find myself in the cabin of a ship and not sprawled out on a Lucan dock. I could feel a tingling in my limbs and realized that not only had someone carried me onto the ferry, but had healed me while I slept. Slipping out of the bunk, I took a long moment to stretch before making my way up to the deck. It was the S.S. Winnow, I was on my way to Kilika after all. Reaching the top step, I froze, familiar voices filling my ears as the memory of that morning returned in its entirety.

"Auron, I couldn't just leave her there. She'd have been taken the very moment we left." Braska shook his head with a sky as he stared out over the sea at the setting sun.

"And if she really is dangerous?" That must be Auron, I thought. This would make the one who had laughed at him, Jecht.

"Man, don't be ridiculous! Did you even see her?" I smiled, regardless of the fact that he was acting as though I was a helpless little girl. I stepped forward embarrassedly, clearing my throat to catch their attention.

They looked at me and I looked at the floor, examining each crack in the wooden planks. I wasn't shy by nature, but the debt in which I owed to this particular trio was humbling if nothing else.

"Come, sit." Braska gestured to the stair on which they sat, his tone gentler than ever. "Did you rest well?"

"I did, Sir. Thank you…for everything." I bowed my head in respect, in a way that surprised me. I hadn't gone through those motions since I was a very small child.

"My name is Braska, and these are my guardians, Sir Auron and Sir Jecht."

"Jecht," the man interrupted, waving his hand indignantly in the air. "None of that 'Sir' stuff for me, thanks." Braska chuckled at him, shaking his head in knowing amusement.

"I'm Krista," I started in quietly, "from Djose. Well, I was born there, at least. I'm sort of from…everywhere." I could see the recognition of my words in their faces. An orphan. A drifter. Like so many others in the days of Sin.

"Where are you headed?" Jecht asked with a furrow of his brow. I loved his voice, gruff yet humorous. I hesitated. I hadn't really known where I was going; only that it had to stay far away from Bevelle and Luca. I shrugged at him and he nodded, understanding, it almost seemed as if he didn't know where he was headed either.

"Thank you for healing me, Lord Braska. I'm not sure I'd be walking around right now if you hadn't." He looked confusedly at me for a long moment, until Auron cleared his throat awkwardly. He didn't say a single word, but he didn't have to. It had been he who had done it.

"We should all get some rest," Braska said, rising to his feet. "We'll reach Kilika by daybreak." He disappeared below the deck and soon after that, Jecht yawned, stretching clumsily as he waved a goodnight leaving only myself and Auron to sit in a strange silence, one I hadn't expected him to break.

"You should go as well. You still look pale." I was taken back. He was the last I had expected to voice his concern. I shrugged again, leaning back against the steps.

"It's going to sound stupid, but I think I'm too tired to sleep." He nodded, absentmindedly polishing his sword with the deep red material of his coat. "Why aren't you going?" Without another word, he grunted, stood up and disappeared below deck, as if I'd commanded him to go instead of asking why he hadn't yet. Curling up on the stairs, I watched the stars continue to brighten one by one, counting them until I too drifted to sleep.

-----

The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon when a quiet voice and a weathered hand shook me from my sleep. The first few rays of sunlight stung my eyes as I tried to open them. Groaning, I buried my face back into my arms and tried to sleep again. It was way too early to get up.

"Come on, kid, wake up. We're in Kilika and I don't think you want to be on board when the boat goes back to Luca." As I opened my eyes again, Jecht stood before me, arms crossed. His face tinged with a smirk as I scowled at him, waving him off in slight annoyance. "Heh, not a morning person either, I take it. Bet you're hungry, though. And Braska wants to talk to you; he's waiting at the inn." He was right, I was starving and now that he had brought it to my attention, it was impossible to be ignored. Gathering up my few belongings, I straightened up my appearance as best I could, disgusted by the dried salt spray of the sea that had matted my hair and covered my skin in an uncomfortable film, then left the ferry. I had never been to Kilika before but was both surprised and pleased to find the village a small stretch of docks and huts. There was little trouble to find there and for that I was thankful.

The docks were in rough shape, the planks peeled up from the nails and splintered. They were sure signs that it hadn't been long since Sin's last assault on the town. Scuffing my shoes along the boards, I trudged towards the inn. I was hungry, of course, but still too tired to move any faster. It was strange to think about the company I had been keeping for that last day or so. A summoner and his guardians, of all people. I had never been in the company of anyone who ran willingly into the face of what the rest of the world ran from.

The atmosphere was thick and humid and it was refreshing to feel the cool air rush against my face as I pulled aside the large curtain of the inn, scanning the room for at least one of the three men. I half expected them to be gone, having left me behind to continue their pilgrimage. After all, they had already delayed their journey by almost a day on my behalf. I would have been ridiculous to expect that they'd give me any further thought.

An arm wrapped loosely around my shoulder from the left and my body went rigid as my hand flew quickly to the hilt of my sword. The only thoughts that were running through my mind consisted of scenarios that involved the soldiers from Luca following me to the island. In a quick change of mind, I moved my hand from the sword, quickly drawing a dagger from the sheath on my belt. Spinning around defensively, I thrust the dagger towards my assailant's neck, holding the blade against the flesh before I had time to see who it was.

Jecht's eyes widened for a moment before a gruff chuckle escaped his throat. "Easy there, killer. It's just me." I couldn't help but laugh as I shook my head embarrassedly and put the knife away. "A little bit tense, eh? I don't blame you. I had quite a run in with their type myself." It felt good to laugh again, to smile genuinely in a way that I knew lit up my face and gave me an expression verging on innocence. He ruffled my hair as one would a child's and nudged me towards the opposite side of the hut. "Come on, Braska and Auron are waiting over here."

I stopped for a moment, furrowing my brow in thought as I looked up at him. "What's his deal anyway? Auron, I mean." My tone was unintentionally arrogant and Jecht smirked.

"Ha, you sound like me, kid. I think I asked Braska the same question when I first met him." He grinned again and then shrugged, his features becoming thoughtful. "Auron's a bit of a stiff, but he's all right once you get used to him." I was rather thankful that I wouldn't have the chance to get used to him.

I followed him to a table in the corner and found myself met with the warmth of Braska's smile as I pulled out a chair and sat without invitation.

"Good morning, Sir," I nodded at him before glancing across the table. "You too, Auron." My mood was steadily climbing and if by chance I was able to get a shower after I ate, I'd have been completely over the moon. All of the previous day's turmoil had melted away much quicker than I expected it would. "Man, I think I could eat an entire herd of Shoopuf right now." I was speaking more to myself than anyone else, but was still met with a hearty laugh from Braska and perhaps I was imagining things, but I thought I may even have heard a low, throaty chuckle from Auron before he spoke.

"You were right, Braska." My eyes drifted from the menu to meet Auron's in a questioning glance, trying to coax out an explanation from him. I wasn't timid by any means, yet his gaze was hard to hold. There was something lurking behind those eyes, a fire of sorts, and I couldn't tell if it was malicious or not. Seemingly noticing my sudden discomfort, Braska spoke up, at the same time waving the waitress to the table.

"Right indeed." Still confused, but temporarily distracted, I ordered up a meal fit for an army, small, yes, but never lacking in appetite. With a wide-eyed amusement, Auron and Braska looked at me as they ordered their own breakfasts, meals much lighter than my own. "And becoming even more apparent by the minute," he added.

Jecht look as lost as I did, but either didn't care what they were talking about or didn't care enough to ask. "I'll have what she's having," he shrugged, turning away from the waitress just in time to see the other two exchanged a glance of disbelief. "What's with you guys today?" He scowled as he crossed his arms across his broad chest. Without noticing, I did the same, arms crossed, a belligerent pout spreading upon my lips.

"Were you not listening to anything we talked about last night?" Auron's previous shred of amusement had vanished and he took on his typical demeanor, quiet with an expression of constant annoyance. "I hope you at least paid attention to the information concerning the pilgrimage, though I suppose that would be expecting too much." I frowned deeply, my distaste for the temperamental guardian growing with each cross word.

"Auron." Braska interrupted, hoping to put a stop to the accusations before it became a real conflict. As if saying the name was enough reprimand, he smiled at me uneasily, almost apologetically.

"Oh!" As if hit with a kind of divine realization, Jecht grumbled. "Can't believe he got his pants in a bunch over that." He looked to me with a half-forced smirk. "You should be honoured, kid. They're convinced that we're two of a kind, you and me." I heard Auron grunt accusingly at that and ignored him. So he thought Jecht and I were alike, though he clearly wasn't very fond of him. I certainly wasn't about to lose sleep over it.

The majority of the meal was consumed in silence, the only sounds coming in from the sea outside the window. It was beginning to get to me. I wasn't necessarily talkative, but after months of being alone and in quiet, I just wanted noise, talking, some form of company aside from my own thoughts.

I pushed my plates aside, having cleared them off in almost the same amount of time it took the other two to eat half that much. Then, grinning devilishly, I looked to Jecht who was also almost done eating. Almost. I grabbed my fork silently and, as quick as a thief at market, speared his very last bit of food and shoveled it into my mouth with a triumphant giggle.

If looks could kill I would probably have been on the floor twitching in pain, but all I could do was laugh to a point where I was sure the rest probably thought I'd gone mad.

"Why…you little…" His glare had turned into a light-hearted scowl and he shoved me off my chair. I landed on the floor with a loud thud and continued laughing, the men finally joining in.

As if his moods changed with the direction of the sea breeze, Braska paused for a long while, and then interrupted with a sentence that silenced us all. "I'd like you to join us, Krista. To become my guardian." My jaw dropped as I scrambled back into my seat and Auron's head jerked up as he violently snapped out of his daze. I couldn't even begin to wrap my mind around the concept. To be a guardian. To become responsible for the life of a man who treads the earth as one of the few who could truly be called Spira's last hope.

"I – are you serious?" My voice was quiet, but the pitch rose to a high shrill.

"Truly," he replied with and adamant nod. "Perhaps not all for the proper reasons, though you did make it clear in Luca that you're perfectly capable of fighting." He paused thoughtfully and folded his hands together on the table. "You make us laugh, you would bring a much needed liveliness to this party," he chuckled, "perhaps you'll even be able to keep these two from bickering like children so often. And even more, if you choose to join me, you'll no longer have to worry about a recurrence of yesterday."

I chewed my lower lip solemnly, brows drawn together in consideration. He had made a good point. In their company, I wouldn't have to be looking over my shoulder more than the path ahead. At least not until they discovered the secret that Bevelle already had and turned on me as well. But…maybe for a little while, even if it turned out to be no longer than a few days, I could relax and focus only on the tasks at hand.

"I would not only be deeply honoured, but grateful to become your guardian, my Lord." I bowed my head in the Yevon prayer, holding it for much longer than I meant to. My head was absolutely swimming with the absurdity of it all.

I was knocked back to reality by the sound of Jecht snickering again. I looked up just in time to see him elbow Auron in the shoulder. "Hey, man. Looks like I'm not the only one of us that she takes after," he teased, referring to my act of devout respect for the summoner.


End file.
